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Speaking from what she called “perhaps the most beautiful” courtroom in America, former U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told Ohio’s students they need to learn more about the
country’s justice system.

She was the speaker on Tuesday at an event promoting civics education in classrooms. More than
150 high-school and college students were in the audience.

“Civics is no longer a staple of every state’s education system,” O’Connor said, adding that her
call to add civics courses to class schedules is “not a new idea.”

O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, said students need to be reached
differently in a digital age, which led her to create iCivics, an interactive, computer-based
program — free to school districts — that would allow them to learn civics by playing games on
iPads. Lesson plans that teachers could use are already available for download.

The program was started in 2009. Its lesson plans cover the three branches of government, the
Constitution, media influence and international affairs. Its 16 educational games have been played
more than 7 million times.

The justice encouraged the students to persuade education boards to put more focus on civics,
and Ohio’s education leaders were listening.

Richard Ross, the recently elected state school superintendent who was a panelist on the
roundtable discussion that followed, couldn’t say whether the program is being used in Ohio
schools, but he said he’ll take a look at it.

The effectiveness of using iCivics — which a Baylor University study shows have educational
benefits — is the top concern for Ross, who said state school board President Debe Terhar asked him
about the program.

“We’re going to have a discussion at my level,” he said. “We’re going to look at what students
would be able to do with it, and how they’ll be able to learn from it, and I think that’s
important.”

Joshua Jamerson is a fellow in Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse
News Bureau.